Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío came out to defend the dictator accused of narcoterrorism, cocaine trafficking, weapons use, and corruption.
La Paz, Baja California Sur — In a controversial statement, Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío of Baja California Sur publicly called on U.S. President Donald Trump to release Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was arrested in Caracas on January 3 and faces charges of narcoterrorism, cocaine trafficking, weapons violations, and corruption.
The demand was made during an interview published this morning by Diario El Independiente.
“We demand the return of Nicolás Maduro,” Castro Cosío was quoted as saying.
The governor, a member of Mexico’s ruling coalition (MORENA, PT, and PVEM), acknowledged that his stance might be dismissed by some, but insisted on the importance of standing firm in his convictions.
“First comes the self-determination of peoples,” he said. “No one has the right to invade another nation—especially not in the crude manner in which this arrest was carried out.”
Echoing the words of Mexican national hero Benito Juárez, Castro paraphrased: “Respect for the rights of others is peace.”
He further argued that “no nation should, or has the right to, invade another,” particularly, he claimed, “when there is constitutional legitimacy, as in the case of our sister republic, Venezuela.”
“Under no circumstances is the invasion of one nation by another justified—much less the way Venezuela’s legitimate government was abducted,” he concluded.
The governor’s remarks triggered a wave of criticism on social media over the weekend, with many condemning his defense of the embattled Venezuelan leader, often labeled a “narco-dictator.”
Despite his rhetoric, Governor Castro Cosío is known for his frequent travels to the United States, often accompanied by his wife, Patricia Imelda López Navarro, and daughters Patricia and Marcela Castro López. His most recent visit was to San Diego, where he attended a Major League Baseball playoff game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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In October, the governor faced scrutiny after revelations that his administration had contracted services from Favelab, S.A. de C.V.—a company sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS). The company, registered under BCS-SADRM-P2263-09-21, is reportedly led by Francisco Favela López, identified by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as a member of the “Los Chapitos” faction of the cartel.
According to a U.S. Treasury press release, the network involving Favelab includes 12 companies and 8 individuals accused of supplying illicit fentanyl precursors to the Sinaloa Cartel, which the U.S. government classifies as a terrorist organization responsible for a significant share of deadly drug trafficking into the country.
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Adding to the controversy, the governor’s nephew, Carlos Alejandro Castro Castro—known as “El Bebo”—was recently listed as a drug trafficker by the U.S. Department of Justice in Maryland. He previously served a 37-month prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking offenses.
Related Article: https://metropolimx.com/company-linked-to-los-chapitos-serves-as-supplier-to-the-governor-of-baja-california-sur/
